East Coast Sound is a barbershop chorus based in northern New Jersey. The chorus was originally formed in 2007 under the name Tristar Chorus in order to compete in the Barbershop Harmony Society's inaugural Youth Barbershop Chorus Contest in January of 2008 down in San Antonio, Texas as part of the Society's International Midwinter Convention. East Coast Sound was the only youth chorus to compete at every subsequent Midwinter convention over the next decade, competing again in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. Following changes made to the Youth Barbershop Chorus Contest, East Coast Sound chartered as an official Society chapter in early 2015 to begin competing in the Mid-Atlantic District. A youth chorus program persists under the umbrella of ECS, manifesting itself primarily in the form of Jersey Harmony Explosion, the premier youth barbershop event on the east coast.
The chorus went on to win the 2016 Northern Division Chorus Championship, and thereafter had the tremendous honor of finishing in 3rd Place in the 2017 Mid-Atlantic District Chorus Contest. East Coast Sound has since won the Northern Division contest and repeated their 3rd place District finish multiple times. We were honored to represent the Mid-Atlantic District in the 2022 International Chorus Contest in Charlotte, finishing 11th, and have since been back in 2023 and 2025. The chorus continues to work diligently at every rehearsal to improve, all the while retaining a vital focus on youth in harmony and spreading the word of barbershop.
Music Leadership
William Downey - Musical Director
Francesco Logozzo - Assistant Director
Nadiv Kaspi - Assistant Director, Baritone Section Leader
Paul Franek - Tenor Section Leader, Head of Performance & Visuals
Kevin Boehm - Lead Section Leader
Niko Porter - Bass Section Leader
Joe Servidio - Advisor to the Music Team
Dave Ammirata - Advisor to the Music Team
Tim Waurick - Advisor to the Music Team
East Coast Sound’s debut EP is available for purchase here! Some of our favorite performances are also available below!
International Sendoff Show
Thank you to our many friends and fans who attended our International Sendoff show in June 2023! A replay is available below!
Chapter Quartets
The below are only some of our many wonderful chapter quartets:
Gimme Four, 2025 International 2nd Place Quartet Silver Medalists
Vocal Spectrum, 2006 International Quartet Champions
The Quin-Tones, 2019 International Junior Quartet Champions
Praxis, 2024 International Quartet Semifinalists
Jersey Harmony Explosion
Jersey Harmony Explosion, in its eighth year of existence, is a one-day festival during which SATB, SSAA and TTBB festival ensembles will rehearse and be taught by world-class barbershop talent. It is free to all participants and includes two meals! Coaching opportunities for school ensembles and classes on different topics in barbershop and a cappella will be offered. Students also experience the thrill of tag-singing in pick-up quartets with students from other schools. The day will culminate with a nighttime concert open to the public, during which both festival and individual school ensembles perform.
JHE 2025 occurred on January 25th; stay tuned for information on next year’s event! You can also donate to JHE to ensure its continued success HERE!
Please click the “Join Us” button above to register your interest! You can also check us out on Facebook:
Please also feel free to drop into any of our rehearsals at any time! You can contact us on Facebook or via the “Join Us” link to confirm any changes to our rehearsal schedule, but our plan for 2025 post-International is shown below. We rehearse in Visceglia Hall at Caldwell University unless otherwise noted:
July 26th, 1pm
August 9th, 1pm
Sept 19-21, annual retreat at Resica Falls
Oct 25, 1pm
Nov 8, annual appearance on the Dapper Dans chapter show
Dec 6, 1pm
Jan 31, Jersey Harmony Explosion 2026